New City Hall set for Monday opening
Surrey’s new City Hall is to open for business on Monday at 12 p. m.
That’s when most of the staff is expected to be in the $ 97- million building in Surrey City Centre, at the second- last stop on the Expo SkyTrain line.
The old city hall closed Friday, at 1 p. m. The new City Hall is at 13450 104th Ave. Phone numbers and email addresses do not change.
The new building appeared far from being finished on Friday. Inside workers could be seen drilling into the floor and hauling large crates.
Outside, the building was roped off and security guards were not letting anyone inside unless they had identification. Crews were also working on installing planters around the structure.
The provincial government has leased part of the old city hall for expanded court services.
But the move of city hall staff won’t be completed for several weeks, according to Surrey Coun. Bruce Hayne.
City staff who deal with dogs will be among those temporarily staying at the old building, at 14245 56th Ave. And audio and TV systems aren’t ready in the new building, so public hearings continue at the old city hall until mid- March. Surrey plans to hold the first council meeting at its new home on March 31.
The new council chambers has also been designed as a rental space for business groups, performing arts organizations and cultural events.
The new city hall has 180,000 square feet of office space and is part of a new urban centre that includes a regional library, a performing arts centre with a 1,600seat theatre and a smaller 250seat theatre and an expanded Simon Fraser University campus which will see the addition of a 200- bed student residence.